Railway cars



M. SEEL ETAL Nov. 24, 1959 RAILWAY CARS Filed April 11, 1957 'T Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS: MamSeeZ ATTORNEYS Nov. 24, 1959 M SEEL E TAL 2,914,003

RAILWAY CARS Filed April 1l, 1957 7 Shenacs-Sheaei'l 2 'IC".` E

INVENTURS: MarSeel BY @gf/wf@ A TTORNE YS NOV. 24, 1959 M; SEEL ETAL RAILWAY CARS 'T Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 1l`, 1957 INVENTORS Mzzx'eel Wfl/.356mg ATTORNEYS Nov. 24, 1959 M SEEL ETAL RAILWAY CARS 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April ll, 1957 z www INVENTORS Mms'ee! y By e/ Zdem ATTORNEYS Nov. 24, 1959 M, SEEL ETAL RAILWAYv CARS 'T Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 11, i957 INVENTORS. 'malmllg'eelag l' 70 l 6.,@ 6 Pf ATTORNEYS Nov. Z4, 1959 M, sEEL ETAL 2,914,003

RAILWAY CARS Filed April 11. 1957 Y "r sheets-sheet s IN V EN TORS Mam'eel Q ATTORNEYS www Nav. 24, 1959 M SEEL mL 2,914,003

RAILWAY CARS Filed April l1, 1957 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 HGLQ.

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INVENTORS: Max Seel Z ATTORNEYS United Seres Param RAILWAYCARS' Max Seel, Lansdowne,- and RenefHt.BrodeurLevittown,

Pa., `assignors toThe Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Philadelphia, Pa., acorporation of Pennsylvania Application Aprirn, 1957, seriarNo.- 652,161' s Claims. (c1. 1054-368) This invention relates to railwaycars., More specifiY cally, it is concerned witlilrailvvay'carsV useful in transporting highway truck trailers. or the like' over long dis'I tances.

` The chief aim of our invention is. to provide railway car for the above stated purpose having a flat top* with normally raised platforms for4 supportof the main or rear wheels of a trailer, capable of receding downwardly into pocket openings in the cartop as the trailer is run string of at cars with trailers or for the transport of.

other kinds of freight.

Other objects and attendant advantages will appear from the followingV detailedl description ofthe 'attached' drawings, wherein: y y

Fig. 1 shows, in side elevation, a highway trailer-transporting railway car conveniently embodying our inven.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the car taken as indicated by the angled arrows II--II in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a View drawn to a larger scale showing the car in top plan with portions thereof broken out.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view intop plan on a stillV larger scalel looking as indicated by the angled arrows IV-IV in Fig. l, with portions shown in horizontal section and other portions broken away to expose important underlying details. y

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in side elevation looking as indicated by the angled arrows V-V in Figs. 3 and 4,` with the platform nearest the observer shown in dotted lines in lowered position.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section taken as indicated by the angled arrows VI-VI in Figs. 3'and 4 with the platform in elevated position.

Fig. 7'is a View similar to Fig. 6 with the platform in depressed position. y

Fig. 8 is a cross section of the car taken yas indicated by the angled arrows VlllfVIII in Figs. 3 and 5.

Figs. 9 and 10 are transverse fragmentary views in section taken as indicated respectively by the angled arrows IX-IX and X-X in Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 11 is a" fragmentary detail sectiontaken as indicated by the angled arrows XI-XI in Fig. 6.

Figs. 12 and 13 are fragmentary detail sections taken as indicated by the angled'arrows XII-XII andXIII- Xlll in Figs. 4 and l0; and y Figs. 14 and 15 are perspective viewsrespectively of a chock and wedge element thereforwhich we have devised for preventing rolling of the main or rear wheels of the trailer on the depressed`platforms duringV travel of the railway car.

With moreA specific reference rst to IFigs. 1`4 andl 8`10 of these illustrations, it will be notedthat the chassis frame of the railway car is generally of well-known construction, the center' sill thereof being designated by the numeral 1 andthe side sills bythe numeral 2. As.l

shown, `theca'r has a flat top 3'formed of transverselylaid planking which is omittedL adjacent one end of the car to provide between' the; center sill 1 andl the side sills 2 respectively,` a pair of transversely-aligned longitudinally-elongate rectangularopenings 5. Disposed in the'openings 5A are depressibleplatforms 6 for the-suppport respectively of the main or rear wheels W of a trailer T, and associated with therespective platforms arelramp sections 7, both saidplatforms and said ramp sections being constructed'from metallic stock materials into the form` of grids for readywater shedding. As

shown in Figs. 4-7, each platform 6" is hingedly connected at `one endtov theY corresponding end of the associated ramp section' 7 by across rod 9,1 the opposite end of said section being hingedly connected, in turn, to a` cross rod lll engaged'in bearing member 11 affixed respectively to the center. sill 1 and thecorresponding side `sill 2 of the car frame.v Moreover, each platform 6 is yieldingly sustained from beneath adjacent opposite ends by pairs of arms 15 and 16. The arm 15 of each pair is fast upon one end of, a transverse torsion rod 15a (see Figs.v9 and 11) whereof the other end is fixedly anchored' in a bracket 18 bolted`to the inner face of a side sill 2, and the `other varm 16 is.likewise fast upon one end of a separate transverse torsion rod `16a whereof the other end is lixedly anchored in a bracket 19` bolted to the inner' faceof the center sill 1. The rods 15a and 16a of each pair are arranged one above the other and are supported'for torsional movement in vertically-spaced notches of bearing lugs 20'on a fixed member 21 extending.` crosswise between the center sill 1 and the side sill 2` as best seen in Figs. 4-7 and9. As further` shown, the arms 15v and 16v of the respective pairs have lateral projections 15b, 1Gb at their distal ends which underreach the platform `6' adjacent its opposite ends. Accordingly, by torsional action of the rods 15a, 16a upon the arms 15, 16 the corresponding platform 6 is yieldingly urged upwardly. When in raised position flush with theY car top as inFi'g. 10, each platform 6 is stopped by engagement ofthe ends of trans# v verse reinforcing beams 25 at the bottom thereof with the under sides of inward flange projections 26 and stops 27 respectively at opposite sides of the corresponding.

opening in the car top.v When depressed, the platform 6 is stopped by engagement of the. ends of the reinforcing beams 25 with stop projectionsZS and inward flanges 29 respectively on the centersill 1 and the side sill 2l tively fixed upon the tops of the centerand side sills 1 and 2 at opposite sides of the opening in the car top, andV which are adapted to engage beneath the opposite ends of the reinforcing 'beams 25 of said platform ass shown in Figs. 6, 12 and 13. Transverse pairs of the hook elements 30 and 31. are` connected, as best seen in Figs. 6-8 and 10, by. U-shaped cross bars 34 and 35, the downward swing of said elements being limited by` engagement of said bars with the beams 25 as best seen in Figs. 12 and 13. Springs 38.and 39', secured at one end to anchorage lugs 4i)` and 41 respectively onv center and side sills 1 and 2 and connected at their other endsto arms 30a and 31a on the hook elements 30 and 31., serve to maintain saidelements in locked position with capacity to beretracted as shown in Figs. 5 and'7,

to permit the platform `6 to krecede downwardly when'the Patented Nov. 24,- 1959.k

trailer T is run onto the car as later on explained. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5 suitably allocated swing loops 42 are provided on the tops of the side sills 2 for engaglng over other arms 31e of the hook elements 31 to hold said elements in retracted position against the pull of the springs 38 and 39.

Mounted on the car top along opposite sides are aligned pairs of trailer wheel guide and guard rails 45, 46 and 47, 48 which extend from the openings 5 in the car top to the opposite ends of the car. It is to be noted that the inner ends of the rails 45, 46, and 47, 48 of the respective pairs are spaced by a short distance to provide clearances for insertion of wheel chocks and retaining elements such as separately illustrated in Figs. 14 and 15 respectively and there designated 50 and 51 after the trailer T is run onto the car.

Referring to Fig. 14, the wheel chock is made up from suitable stout plate metal parts which are welded together along the regions of mutual abutment, said chock having a rectangular bottom 50a with a pendent ange 50e along one side edge, a vertical back 50b, and a front 50c which is convexly rounded to conform with the peripheral curvature of the main or rear wheels W of a trailer T, and is braced from the back by inclined buttress pieces 50d.

The wedge 51 (Fig. 15) is likewise made up from suitably stiff plate metal parts which are similarly integrated along the regions of mutual abutment, the element thus formed being hollow, closed at opposite ends as at 51a, reinforced in the top thereof with grasp holes 51C.

In accordance with our invention, the car is further provided, adjacent opposite ends outward of the guard rails 45 and 46 with pairs of apertured bars 55 and 56, and with parallel rows of eyes 57 and 58 for anchorage of tie-down chains or cables as presently explained.

To prepare the car for reception of a trailer, the hook elements 30, 31 are swung to the clearing position in which they are shown in Fig. 5 and made fast in this position against the pull of the springs 39 by means of the loops 42. The trailer is then backed onto the car from the right hand end thereof in Figs. 1-3 incident to which the rear or main wheels W are guided by the guard rails 46, 48 said wheels eventually rolling down the ramp sections 7 associated with platforms 6, the Wheels coming to rest on said platforms as said ramp sections and said platforms recede, against convexedly rounded stops 59 weld-integrated to beams 60 extending crosswise between the center and side sills 1 and 2. The downward recession of the ramp sections 7 is yieldingly but effectively resisted incidentally by the torsional action of the rods a and 16a, and the descent of the platforms is limited, of course, upon contact of the reinforcing beams 25 at their bottoms with the projections 28 and 29 hereinbefore referred to. With the trailer T now on the car, the wheel chocks 50 are placed as instanced in Fig. 5, and the wedge blocks 51 inserted between said chocks and inwardly-projecting sloped lugs 61 at opposite sides of the platform openings in the car top. The front end of the trailer is thereupon raised, and supported by means of the jacks shown at J in Figs. l and 2, to take the weight olf the auxiliary wheels W', and the trailer is finally lashed to the car at the front and back by means of tie-down-chains or cables 62 engaged with the apertured bars 56 and with eyes 58 at opposite ends of the car top as shown in Figs. l and 2. Upon subsequent removal of the trailer T, the platforms and the associated ramp sections are raised flush with the car top by torsional reaction of the rods 15a and 16a, and the hook elements 30 and 31 swing into position automatically, as instanced in Figs. 6, l2 and 13, to so hold and lock said platforms and ramp sections. It is to be particularly noted that the location of the openings 5 is such that trailers of varying lengths can be readily accommodated o n the car. In all cases, maximum height and maximum side clearance are provided with reduction in the height of the center of gravity.

By way of further example, we may provide the car with but a single opening in its top and single depressible platform and associated ramp section for the support of both rear wheels (or groups of such wheels) of the trailer instead of two separate platforms and ramps.

We do not, of course, consider ourselves restricted to the precise details of construction herein disclosed since various other modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the building of railway cars, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

l. A railway car, for transporting a highway truck trailer or the like, having a frame, and a flat deck with a pair of transversely-aligned openings therein; a platform disposed in each opening; yielding means for supporting each platform from beneath adjacent its opposite ends with capacity to be depressed by engagement therewith of the rear wheels of a trailer as the trailer is run onto the car, each such means comprising a pair of torsion rods arranged crosswise of the car and respectively secured, each at one end, to the car frame at opposite sides of the corresponding opening, and arms at the opposite ends of the rods of the respective pairs engaging the platform from beneath adjacent the corresponding end thereof; and stops on the car frame at opposite sides of the opening for limiting the drop of the platform upon being depressed under the weight of the rear trailer wheels as the trailer is run onto the car, and for rigidly supporting the platform in depressed position.

2. A railway car according to claim l, further including means for rigidly supporting the platforms in elevated position flush with the car top when the car is to be used for freight other than trailers, said supporting means comprising hooks pivotally suspended at opposite sides of each opening in the car top and adapted to engage beneath the ends of reinforcing cross bars at the bottom of the platform, spring means tending to urge the hooks to operative position, andI releasable means for normally holding the hooks retracted in opposition to the force of the springs.

3. A railway car, for transporting a highway truck trailer or the like, having a frame with a center sill, laterally-spaced side sills and a flat deck with a pair of transversely-aligned openings therein respectively between the center and side sills; a platform disposed in each opening: yielding means for supporting each platform from beneath adjacent its opposite ends with capacity to be depressed by engagement therewith of the rear wheels of a trailer as the trailer is run onto the car, each such means comprising a pair of torsion rods arranged crosswise of the car and respectively secured, each at one end, to the center sill and the corresponding side sill of the car frame, and arms on the opposite ends of the respective rods of each pair for engaging the platform from beneath adjacent the corresponding end thereof; and stops on the center sill and the corresponding side sill of the car frame for limiting the drop of the platform upon being depressed under the weight of the rear trailer Wheels as the trailer is run onto the car, and for rigidly supporting the platform in depressed position.

4. A railway car according to claim 3 further including a ramp section with one end thereof hingedly connected to one end of each platform, the other end of said ramp section being connected to the approach end of the corresponding opening in the car top; and transverselyaligned sloped lugs projecting inwardly respectively from the center and side sills of the car in the respective openings for insertion of wedge blocks between said lugs and chocks placed on the platforms ,behind the rear trailer wheels after the trailer is run onto the car.

5. A railway car, according to claim 3, further including means for rigidly supporting the platforms in elevated References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sheehan May 24, 1938 Goodwin et al. May 23, 1939 Holland Feb. 12, 1952 Francis Feb. 26, 1952 Gaynor July 29, 1952 

